This is a list of all aircraft operated by the Australian Army since its formation.

Current

A Tiger helicopter
A Tiger helicopter
A S-70 Blackhawk (left) and CH-47 Chinook (right)
A S-70 Blackhawk (left) and CH-47 Chinook (right)
Aircraft Origin Role Versions In service[1] Notes
Boeing CH-47 Chinook  United States Transport helicopter CH-47F 10
Main article: Boeing CH-47 Chinook in Australian service

One CH-47D was destroyed during operations in Afghanistan on 30 May 2011.[2] Two additional CH-47Ds ordered in December 2011 as attrition replacement and to boost heavy lift capability.[3] The last of 7 new CH-47Fs was delivered in September 2015 and the D models subsequently retired.[4]
Eurocopter Tiger  Europe Attack helicopter Tiger ARH 22
Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk  United States Utility helicopter S-70A-9 35 Transferred from the Royal Australian Air Force as UH-60L.[5]
MRH 90  Europe Utility helicopter TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter 40

Historic

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role In service Notes
A50 AAI Aerosonde Australia Aerosonde Mk 2 Surveillance 2003 Four aircraft. Deployed to the Solomon Islands during Operation Anode in 2003. Operated by the 131st surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery.
AeroVironment Wasp III United States Wasp EA Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Current Wasp entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation. the Wasp AE entered service with the Australian Army in 2018.
Black Hornet Nano Norway PD-1000 Black Hornet Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Current The Black Hornet entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation.
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle United States Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance - 2012 Obsolete, No longer operated by the Australian Army. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Elbit Systems Skylark Israel Skylark I Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army. Replaced by the Wasp EA.
A43 AAI RQ-7 Shadow United States RQ-7B Shadow 2000 UAV Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance 2012-current 18 aircraft. The Shadow 200 entered service in 2012 replacing the ScanEagle. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Phantom (unmanned aerial vehicle series) China Phantom 4 Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance 2017- 350 aircraft
An Australian Army UH-1 Iroquois helicopter on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
An Australian Army UH-1 Iroquois helicopter on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Fixed Wing Aircraft

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A11 Auster Mark III United Kingdom Mk III
MK V
AOP.6		 Two-seat Air Observation Post aircraft 1944–1959 58 aircraft. Operated by the RAAF in support of the Australian Army.
A98 Cessna 180 United States Model 180A
Model 180D
Model 180E		 Two to four seat liaison, observation aircraft 1959–1975 19 aircraft
A14 Pilatus PC-6B Turbo-Porter Switzerland PC-6B Turbo Porter Eight-seat reconnaissance, light transport aircraft 1968–1992 19 aircraft
Cessna L-19 Bird Dog United States O-1 Bird Dog One or two-seat liaison, observation aircraft 1967–1968 Three aircraft on loan from the US Army. Operated by the 161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight (Australia)
Beechcraft Queen Air United States A65 Queen Air
B70 Queen Air		 1971-19?? Four aircraft. Operated by the Australian Army Survey corps
A18 GAF Nomad Australia Nomad N22B
Nomad N24A		 Two-crew twin-engine utility transport, reconnaissance aircraft, capable of carrying 11 passengers 1975–1995 22 aircraft
A32 Beechcraft Super King Air United States (King Air B200, B200C and B300) Twin-engine utility transport aircraft 1997-current 24 aircraft. Including leased civilian aircraft.
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante Brazil EMB 100P1 Bandeirante 1995 only Four aircraft were leased from Flight West Airlines. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada DHC-6-320 Twin Otter 1996–2004 Three aircraft were leased from Hawker Pacific 1996. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
CASA C-212 Aviocar Spain C-212-400 2007-current Two aircraft leased from Skytraders since 2013 with two 212-200 formerly leased from Military Support Services.[6][7] Operated by the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School.[6]

Helicopters

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A22 Aerospatiale AS.350B Squirrel France AS.350B Squirrel Two-crew light utility, training helicopter 1990–1998 18 helicopters. Operated by the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School
A1 Bell 47 Sioux United States Model 47G-2 Sioux
Model 47G-2A Sioux
Model 47G-3B1 Sioux		 Three-seat light utility, training helicopter 1960–1977 47 helicopters
A17 Bell / CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa United States
Australia		 CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa
Model 206B-1 Kiowa
 Light observation, reconnaissance helicopter 1971–2018 64 helicopters. Including eight US built helicopters, which were leased to the Australian Army.
A2 Bell UH-1 Iroquois United States UH-1H Iroquois Multi-role utility transport helicopter 1990–2007 25 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army in 1990
A17 Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States CH-47D Chinook
CH-47F Chinook		 Twin-rotor medium-lift transport helicopter 1995-current 18 helicopters
A25 Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk United States S-70A-9 Black Hawk Four-crew multi-role battlefield support helicopter, capable of carrying 10 troops 1990-current 39 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army.
A38 Eurocopter Tiger Europe Tiger ARH Armed reconnaissance, attack helicopter 2004-current 22 helicopters
A40 NHIndustries NH90 Europe TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter Utility transport helicopter 2007-current 40 helicopters
Bell 412 United States
Canada		 Bell 412
AB 412		 2007-current Two helicopters. Operated by the Army Aviation Training Centre

List of Guided Missiles of the Australian Army

Model Variants Origin Role Service period Notes
AGM-114 Hellfire AGM-114K United States Air-to-surface anti-tank missile Current Carried by the Tiger ARH helicopter
ENTAC ENTAC France Wire-guided anti-tank missile 1964–1985 Replaced by the MILAN anti-tank missile in 1985.
FGM-148 Javelin United States Man-portable fire and forget, guided anti-tank missile 2006-Current Prior to deploying to Afghanistan in 2001, the Special Air Service Regiment was equipped with the javelin. It entered service with infantry and cavalry units in 2006.
FIM-43 Redeye FIM-43C Redeye United States Man-portable surface-to-air missile 1973–1987 Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army. The Redeye was operated by the 16th Air Land Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
M712 Copperhead United States Cannon launched guided projectile 1995- Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army
M982 Excalibur United States
Sweden		 guided artillery shell Current
MILAN France and Germany Wire-guided anti-tank missile 1984-1990s Used by the infantry, mounted on vehicles. Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army
RBS 70 Sweden Man-portable short-range surface-to-air missile 1987-Current Operated by the 16th Air Land Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Rapier United Kingdom Surface-to-air missile 1979–2005 Obsolete, no longer in service with Australian Army. The Rapier was operated by the 16th Air Land Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
SMArt 155 Germany Guided artillery shell 2007-current

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
  2. ^ "Australian Chinook crashes in Afghanistan". Australian Aviation. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Defence to buy two more Chinook choppers". ninemsn. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Australian Army receives final CH-47F Chinook". Australian Aviation. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  5. ^ Leoni 2007, pp. 250–256.
  6. ^ a b "Defence". Skytraders. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Army Constructiones Aeronauticas S A CASA 212 Aviocar". ADF-Serials. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2020.

References

Categories